Music Therapy, Lessons & Classes, Smile Concerts, Respite Days and More!
Our Mission of Smiles, History and Impact!
Donate, Volunteer and Upcoming Events!
The Countdown has begun to Fox Fest '22!
We are so excited to announce that the amazing promoters of Fox Fest '22 have chosen the KEYS Program as this year's beneficiary from the proceeds of this year's concert! How awesome is that!?
This great all day music event is
Saturday, August 6th, 2022 from 12pm to 11:30pm at Fox Fest venue at 3242 Fox Road in Syracuse, NY 13215
Tickets are on sale NOW for $30 a person at
https://foxfestsyracuse.com/tickets !
Be sure to order early so you can get your t-shirt that acts as your concert ticket!
There is FREE overnight camping!
Food vendors Limp Lizard and The Spud Shack!
Band line-up includes:
Under the Paige
Molly D'Agostino
Dirt Road Ruckus
Joe Rogalia & The Swamp Boys
F5
Christ Taylor Band
The Shylocks
Steve Cali Band
Come join us for a full day of great music, good food and lots of BIG smiles for our KEYS kids!
**Sponsors are still being accepted for the event! Got to
https://foxfestsyracuse.com/sponsors for more info!**
Smile Concert Series!
Tune-in to the KEYS Program facebook page each Monday night at 7pm to enjoy a LIVE concert by our amazing line up of featured artists from across the country!
Each concert celebrates and honors one of our KEYS kids and their family!
Don't worry if you miss it! All of the concerts are saved on our KEYS Kids Network page for pediatric cancer patients, their families and the community to enjoy all year long!
The BEST part?
We can share smiles with our KEYS kids whether they are tuning-in from home, while in treatment
or the hospital!
Now that makes us smile!
"Backstage" Meet 'n Greet for the KEYS Kids!
Before each concert, we host a private Meet 'n Greet via zoom for the KEYS kids and their families who we are celebrating!
The kids LOVE meeting the artists who are performing for them...and the artists LOVE meeting the kiddos too!
It makes the Smile Concert even more special. magical and smile-filled for everyone!
Recent Concert
Smiles for Owen & Grace featuring Clair Stein!
Upcoming Concert!
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Recent Concert
Smiles for Alexa & Nico featuring Katie Quick!
Summer Songwriting Project!
Kids in the community and our KEYS kids are invited to join us for our Summer Songwriting Project!
Your child will be connected to one of our amazing music therapists and join them for 4 to 6 one-on-one songwriting sessions . Each session is 30 mins and via zoom! You can participate in 4 sessions or up to 6 sessions (whatever you prefer). Your child will write a song that we will record with them and post on our KEYS Kids Network for our KEYS kids near and far to enjoy!
Our music therapists will spend time getting to know your child and teach them different ways to write songs. Throughout the summer, your child will write your own song for it to be recorded and included in our song list on our KEYS Kids Network!
It is so easy! Songs can be with words or without, they can sing or someone can sing for them, the sky is the limit!
It’s all about YOUR child and their own creativity!
Most important, the songs and recordings the kids create are so beautiful and are a precious gift for parents, grandparents, friends and loved ones!
Cost for the community is $40/for each 30 min session. (Up to 6 sessions over the summer)
There is NO cost for KEYS kids & their siblings thanks to our amazing sponsors and donors!
We have limited spots available, so be sure to sign up by June 1st 2022!
Contact the KEYS Office at 315-363-6446
or email us at colleen@thekeysprogram.org !
Smile Experience Coming This Summer!
We are dusting off our USAC Quarter Midget race cars and getting them ready for a fun-filled summer of family and racing fun for our KEYS families this summer!
We are looking forward to giving our KEYS kids and their families a break from their treatments, worries and fears for a day of racing fun and excitement!
Stay tuned!
Hope's Smile Backyard Concerts Kick-Off This Smmer!
There are many of our KEYS kids who at some stage of their treatment are not able to leave home or travel to our Smile Experience days due to their condition. So in 2022, we will bring Hope's Smile to their very own back yard!
Created in memory of 2013 KEYS Kids Ambassador, Hope Inslee, we will provide a free outdoor back yard concert for KEYS kids, their families and close friends, in the comfort of their own home. This way, we can be socially distanced so it is safe and can keep our KEYS kiddos healthy and smiling!
BONUS: The concert will be broadcast on our KEYS Kids Network for pediatric patients near and far to enjoy too!
Stay tuned for BIG smiles!
Wear Your Heart
on Your Sleeve 2022!
BIG thank you to all who wore their hearts on their sleeves for our KEYS kids and those loved ones who have battled cancer!
Hearts were worn in New York...Florida...Colorado...New Hampshire...Virginia...Texas...Kentucky...Pennsylvania... NorthCarolina...California...Illinois...Indiana...New Jersey...Massachusetts...Denmark!
Now that's a lot of hearts...and a lot of smiles...
1,088 hearts and smiles in all!
After all...it's all about the smiles!
UPDATE!
SIRSY Rocks!
Special Concert to Benefit KEYS & Celebrating KEYS Kid Erika raises over $5,480 for KEYS !
SIRSY rocked' the house and created BIG smiles at our Smiles for Erika concert Monday, Dec 20th at 7pm!
The concert was streamed LIVE on Facebook and YouTube! If you missed it----have no fear! You can enjoy it here !
The concert was free and donations to KEYS were accepted throughout the concert to benefit the KEYS Program! Thanks to our amazing fans--- over $2,740 was raised for KEYS! And THEN...one of SIRSY's amazing fans matched the money raised to bring the total to $5,480!!
Now that's a lot of smiles!
Mel and Rich from the amazing band SIRSY know what the cancer battle is like. Lead singer & drummer Melanie is a 2 time breast cancer survivor and is passionate about support others going through the journey. They have been long smile creators here at the KEYS Program, sharing their music, love and talents to bring BIG smiles to our KEYS kiddos!
After all...it's all about the smiles!
We are thrilled to partner with Stad's Crabfest to deliver music hope and smiles to kiddos battling cancer & their siblings in New Jersey this year!
Stad's Crabfest is a New Jersey nonprofit organization that is devoted to enhancing the quality of life of those affected by cancer, focusing on the journey from Diagnosis through resolution.
Stad's Crabfest has awarded a $5,000 grant to the KEYS Program's Music Therapy Outreach Program to provide ukuleles to children battling cancer and their siblings to use in music therapy sessions or to jam along with during our concerts!
BIG thanks to the wonderful folks at Stad's Crabfest for partnering with us to deliver music, ukuleles and BIG smiles to our KEYS kids this year!
Be sure to check out Stad's Crabfest at www.stadscrabfest.org!
Stad's Crabfest helping to deliver smiles to New Jersey KEYS kiddos!
Florida Virtual School Students Creating Videos...and smiles...for our KEYS Kids!
KEYS is so excited to have students at the Florida Virtual School creating videos for KEYS Kids Network for pediatric patients across the US to enjoy!
"Zachary, a senior at Florida Virtual Schools (FLVS) reached out to me to see if he could volunteer his time to bring smiles to our KEYS kids. Since we are virtual, he suggested that he, and his classmates, could create videos sharing their talents." said Colleen Bennett, KEYS Executive Director/Founder. "We just love having teens giving their hearts to bring smiles to our KEYS kids and are SO excited to partner with them!"
Students will be sharing their talents to bring BIG smiles to our KEYS kids. We will be adding more videos in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, check out this video of Zachary teaching the kiddos some really amazing yo-yo tricks!
Thank you so much for all you do Zachary and everyone at FLVS!
Check out ALL of the student's videos on our Florida Virtual School (FLVS) video page under our KEYS Kids Network tab!
The KEYS Program
The KEYS Program is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that delivers music, hope and smiles to children impacted by cancer and serious illnesses.
For 27 years, KEYS has been sharing the combined power of music and joy of motorsports to improve the quality of life of children facing incredible health challenges, while creating memorable moments for their family!
And all at no cost to the families we serve.
KEYS has received GuideStar's platinum seal for transparency, the highest level, for nonprofits!